Detachable clamping device



May 15, 1951 N. SCHACHTER DETACHABLE CLAMPING DEVICE Filed Oct. 22, 1947 EVE/7227f Man/AN Sen/ac; TH?

Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a detachable clamping device designed particularly for clamping vending machines to store shelves.

A large class of vending machines include a base member which during the use of the machine is secured to a counter or shelf but which must be removed therefrom and inverted to permit access to a lock which must be unlocked to permit access to the coin collecting receptacle in the base member.

The present invention provides an improved form of clamping device which is well adapted to the main purpose of clamping the machine upon a shelf, and which has the added advantage of being readily detachable from the vending machine when the service man is servicing the machine and removing the coins therefrom.

One object of the invention is to provide a clamping device of the character described which provides a very strong clamping grip upon a protruding edge of a shelf.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved clamping device of the character described which is connectable to the vending machine in a manner which makes that connection inaccessible when the device is in clamped position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved clamping device of the character described which is readily detachable from a vending machine once the clamping device is unlocked or unclamped.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be mentioned hereinafter or will become apparent from a perusal of the following specification.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation showing a vending machine clamped to a shelf by a device made in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the base member of the vending machine and the clamping device; and

Figure 3 is a view partly in section of the base member and the clamping device.

Referring further to the drawings, a typical peanut or candy vending machine, coin operated, is shown in Figure l, which includes a base member Ill, a body member H, and a glass receptacle l2 with which these vending machines are usually equipped. The body member II contains the coin operated mechanism for dispensing a small quantity of peanuts or candy responsive to the insertion of each coin. Usually in a machine of this character a couple of hooks depending 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-203) from the body member ll, one of which is indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3 and marked l3, will engage with slots in the base member I0 provided approximately at positions indicated at l 4 and l 5 in Figure 2.

Also depending from the body member is usually a metal bar !6 having a slot therein at its lower end through which the bolt I! of a lock mechanism l8 may protrude. The lock I8 is usually secured to the base by rivets and is key operated by a key inserted at the key hole Hi. It is apparent that by means of the hooks engaged in the slots l4 and I5 and the engagement of the bolt H with the slot in the bar IS, the body member of the dispensing machine may be securely looked upon the base.

In these machines the base also is usually employed for receiving the coins after they have passed through the coin operated vending apparatus. Accordingly when the service man intends to take the coins out of the machine he must be able to get at the underside of the base member l0 and insert a key into the keyhole [9 which can be reached only if the base is removed from the shelf.

The clamping device for clamping the base member upon a shelf such as the shelf 20 consists of a bar 2| having an offset hook 22 which may be inserted through an aperture 23 provided in the bottom of the base member or coin receptacle. The outer end of this bar is bent into an L-shape portion having a lower leg 24 in which is suspended a U-shaped staple having two legs 25 and 26 which are sufficiently widely spaced to receive the offset loop 21 formed in a rod 28 which is threaded through a threaded aperture in the leg 24 of the clamping device.

When the service man is attaching this device to a shelf the padlock is of course removed and the staple 25-26 is swung out of engagement with the loop 21 and the threaded rod 28 is screwed upwardly until it becomes tightly clamped against the underside of the shelf 20. The clamping bar is made of heavy steel strap metal, hence considerable clamping pressure may be exerted by means of the screw 28. After the proper adjustment is secured the operator then swings the staple 25-26 over to embrace the loop 2'! and then attaches the padlock 29, as shown in Fig. 3.

When removing the clamping device, after the padlock has been removed and the threaded rod 28 unscrewed, it is a simple matter to withdraw the offset hook 22 from the aperture 23. The service man can then unlock the bolt I! while having the machine slightly tipped or holding it in such position that the lock may be conveniently reached. While removing the body I I from the coin receptacle I 0, the latter may be placed horizontally on the shelf, resting upon its feet30.

During the servicing of the machine the clamping device does not interfere with the handling of the machine because it is entirely disconnected therefrom. Yet when the apparatus is ready to be clamped again to the shelf it takes but a moment to attach the clamp.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of the invention it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise details of construction herein disclosed but may be varied within the limits of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a vending machine having a bottom wall and a slot therein and provided with legs for supporting the bottom wall slightly spaced above a shelf, a device for clamping said vending machine to the shelf comprising an arm extending in part underneath said bottom wall of the vending machine and having an offset portion shaped for insertion into said slot and withdrawable therefrom only when said arm is disposed at a wide angle depending fromthe plane of said bottom wall, said arm having an integral L-shaped end portion for extending around and under the protruding edge of a shelf, an adjustable clamping element for exerting a 4 strong frictional grip upon the protruding edge of the shelf to prevent separation of the arm from the shelf, and means for locking said adjustable element in adjusted position.

2. A detachable clamping device for use with a vending machine having a bottom wall provided with an aperture and legs for supporting the bottom wall slightly spaced above a shelf, comprising a steel strap having a portion for extending under said bottom wall and an end projection on said portion bent upwardly and thence parallel thereto for insertion into and withdrawal from said aperture only when the said strap portion is disposed at'a wide angle depending from said bottom wall, the remainder of said strap havin an integral L-shaped portion for embracing a shelf margin, an adjustable element extending through the lower arm of said L-shaped portion for adjustment into tight clamping relation with said shelf margin, and means for locking said element in such adjusted position.

NATHAN SCI-IACHTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,043,238 Knowlton Nov. 5, 1912 1,085,572 Toepperwein Jan. 27, 1914 1,385,640 OKeefe July 26, 1921 

